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Atlantic Council blogs provide short-form analyses from Council experts and a wider community of global voices on the world’s most important news stories.
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SyriaSource

Mar 12, 2019

Tokenism or empowerment? Syrian women and the SDF

By Feras Hanoush

Although Raqqa and the areas east of the Euphrates were liberated from ISIS in 2017—by the US coalition and allied forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which now controls the area—it cannot be said that women’s circumstances in these areas improved significantly. Women now face oppression and challenges in different ways, but they are also able to take on new roles.

Arabic Syria

New Atlanticist

Mar 11, 2019

May’s last-minute gamble to secure Brexit deal

By David A. Wemer

Juncker warned that while this was a “second chance” for the United Kingdom to pass the Withdrawal Agreement, “there will be no third chance.”

European Union United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Mar 11, 2019

Brexit: The bumpy road ahead

By John M. Roberts

Strange days indeed as Britain plunges into a week of crucial votes and both parliamentary and national uncertainty.

European Union United Kingdom

SyriaSource

Mar 11, 2019

Syria and its armed rebellion, eight years on

By Burhan Nassir

Eight years of constant war have brought pain and destruction to the Syrian people and their country. What these years have also brought is a chaotic kaleidoscope of armed opposition groups (AOGs) fighting against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. With various forms of foreign fighters, agenda-ascribed funding, and rising religious and ethnic extremism; almost all of the […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Mar 11, 2019

Brexit: The four issues that need resolving after this week’s votes

By Richard Chew

At the moment, everyone believes there is still time to get what they really want—so there is no need to compromise and move off their first preference. 

European Union United Kingdom

IranSource

Mar 11, 2019

Ebrahim Raisi: Iran’s new chief justice and possible Supreme Leader in waiting

By Mehrzad Boroujerdi

Iran’s 1989 amended constitution states that “in order to fulfill the responsibilities of the judiciary power in all the matters concerning judiciary, administrative and executive areas, the [Supreme] Leader shall appoint a just, honorable man well versed in judiciary affairs and possessing prudence and administrative abilities as the head of the judiciary power for a period of […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2019

#StrongerWithAllies: British national security adviser sees US role central to facing global challenges

By Ashish Kumar Sen

It is critical for allies to work together in the face of global challenges to democratic values and principles, Mark Sedwill said.

European Union NATO

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2019

Is regulation of social media companies the answer to disinformation?

By David A. Wemer

Governments “only have their word” as evidence that social media companies are adequately addressing the disinformation threat, MP Damian Collins says.

Disinformation

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2019

How to kill a disinformation narrative: Make it a whodunit

By David A. Wemer

Ben Nimmo suggested that too many policy makers are focused on disinformation as an information warfare problem rather than “narrative warfare.”

Disinformation English

SyriaSource

Mar 7, 2019

Eight years

By Frederic C. Hof

Eight years ago, a very quiet American peace mediation between Syria and Israel was showing promise. Territorial disputes long dividing the parties were being resolved. Security issues key to a genuine peace were being tackled. The fact that months of shuttle diplomacy had not leaked suggested the parties were serious. Had the mediation continued, both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would likely have faced a choice by year’s end: inform their respective citizenries that mutually agreed terms of peace had been arrived at; or scuttle everything. Alas, we will never know what those choices would have been.

Syria